Chapter 222: Relief Pitcher (1)

"Since we’ve lived here ever since we were young, that tiny bit of affection saved your life just now."

“

Eeek

...!”

Despite his appearance, Sora was the best warrior in Cordo Village. The villagers, overwhelmed by his intimidating aura, took several steps back in fear. But that was only for a moment, as the villagers’ faces turned red with anger and began shouting.

“H-how dare you point a weapon at us?!”

"We showed you leniency out of pity, and now you’re really pushing it!"

“We cared for you all this time because you were orphans, and this is how you repay us?!”

“Even if you’re the best warrior in the village, challenging all of us is outright madness.”

The atmosphere quickly turned hostile. However, to Kai, who was observing from the side, the situation was nothing short of a comedy.

This is entertaining.

He found the behavior of the villagers so amusing that a chuckle almost escaped his lips.

The way I look at it, they have no right to be angry.

Sometimes, people forget their place—just like now. They commit wrongs yet try to smooth things over with just a few words. Interestingly, such people always share the same trait.

They get angry if their apology isn’t accepted.

They believed that since they set aside their pride to apologize, the other party should forgive them. That was the common argument of perpetrators like them.

Ridiculous people.

The pain of a victim was something no one else could truly understand. Even a careless word from the perpetrator could leave a scar on the victim’s heart that lasted a lifetime.

Well, anyone capable of understanding that wouldn’t have done such things in the first place.

Kai stepped back and quietly observed the situation.

“

Sigh

... So, this is what it’s come to.” Realizing that the situation could no longer be resolved through words, the village chief stepped back and said, “I wanted to resolve this as peacefully as possible, out of respect for your late parents... But since you refuse to compromise, there’s no choice left.”

After finishing his words, he turned to look behind him and bowed respectfully.

“Then, I’ll leave this to the mighty warriors.”

“

Tsk

. I told you we should’ve resorted to force from the beginning. We’ve only wasted precious time.”

“M-my apologies.”

Two muscular warriors wearing fox masks parted the crowd as they appeared. Even in the freezing cold of the Snowy Mountains, these crazy people exposed their bare arms.

However, far from finding them amusing, Luna and Sora’s faces turned pale with fear the moment they saw them.

“I-if they’re men wearing masks...”

“The Dominators!” Luna immediately glared at the village chief and shouted, “You! Did you really hand us over to them?”

“Don’t misunderstand. The Dominator himself issued the order. With the Death Dragon’s curse vanishing overnight, he ordered the retrieval of everyone who bore the mark to investigate the situation.”

“That still means you sold us out!”

“We tried to persuade you peacefully, but you threw away that chance yourselves.”

“How... How could you do this to us?!”

Luna and Sora glared at the chief, trembling with anger for being betrayed.

“Hmm

. Is it her? The woman who supposedly bore the Death Dragon’s curse?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“And the boy?”

“He’s her younger brother... He’s extremely protective of her. He even ran off to kill the dragon.”

“

Bahaha!

What? Kill the dragon?”

"What a ridiculous guy. Or maybe it’s better to say he doesn’t know his place."

The two warriors chuckled, their shoulders shaking, though their faces were hidden behind fox masks.

However, Sora could feel their gazes scanning him from head to toe.

"

Oh?

But looking closely..."

"His build is pretty decent."

"Still, it’s a shame. He’s too old to teach."

The two warriors, who had just evaluated Sora like a product, drew their weapons.

Spears, huh.

Kai observed the weapons they wielded and nodded.

Snowy Mountains, due to their regional characteristics, were home to monsters with thick fur and hides. In other words, using slashing weapons like swords or blades to fight them required a considerable level of skill.

That’s probably why warriors in Snowy Mountains favor spears as their main weapon.

Sora used a spear, and so did these masked warriors.

"Your concern for your sister is admirable, but this isn’t your place to interfere."

"We’ll take your sister with us for now. If you block us, only death awaits you."

At the warriors’ threats, Sora gritted his teeth and glared at them. "No one in this world would sit idly by while their family is taken away. From what I can see, you seem to be from the Dominator Clan. Why are you persecuting us?"

"Everything is by the will of Shaktus, the ruler of Snowy Mountains. Accept it humbly."

"Th-the ruler of Snowy Mountains..."

Sora’s eyes widened in shock.

Kai, who had been silently watching, stepped forward to stand beside Sora and looked at the warriors.

"And who’s this fearless fool?" One of the warriors asked the village chief in a displeased tone, irritated by the interruption.

"He’s just a passing adventurer priest. He once visited the village and set up a clinic."

"I see. Now I remember. That emblem—it’s from those idiots who believe in that Sun nonsense, isn’t it?"

"Living warm and well-fed makes people believe in all sorts of nonsense. What we should revere is overwhelming strength. What idiots, believing in something like the Sun.”

They mocked Kai, clearly showing their disdain for the existence of the Solarian Church.

If Helik heard this, she’d probably be fuming...

As expected, Helik, whose daily routine consisted of snacking and watching over Kai, immediately reacted to their remarks.

Ding!

[Helik is very displeased by the words and actions of the fox-masked warriors.]

[Helik issues an urgent command to you, her envoy.]

[Quest: Punish the Disgraceful Ones]

Difficulty: B

Helik is offended by the fox-masked warriors who disrespect her. Teach them a lesson by showing the greatness of the Solarian Church, and soothe Helik’s displeasure.

Reward for success: +1 Benevolence stat

Penalty for failure: -3 Benevolence stat

Kai let out a deep sigh, wondering if this child should truly be entrusted with the title of the Solarian God.

Ding!

[Helik is reflecting deeply on the meaning of your sigh.]

As if to prove she was indeed a girl, she was very perceptive.

Kai immediately shrugged and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. "

Oh

, I’m not saying I won’t do it. Anyone talking trash about our Solarian God deserves a good thrashing."

Moreover, the urgent quest was essentially offering him free Benevolence stats. For Kai, knocking down the two warriors in front of him was no different than kicking a pebble on the street.

Of course, the warriors before him didn’t seem to share that perspective.

"

Hah?

Did that pathetic Sun-worshiping shaman just put his hand on his sword in front of me?"

"He’s definitely lost his mind."

[Helik protests and expresses her frustration, claiming she is not a minor deity but the Solarian God.]

"

Ah

, it’s been a while since I’ve been treated like this—it feels strangely refreshing.”

The cold attitude of his opponents brought back fond memories of his past.

I was often treated like this before Unknown’s identity was exposed.

Of course, now that his face was widely recognized, any appearance in a city would cause crowds to gather, making normal gameplay nearly impossible. But back when he participated in the Orc Expedition, he had been subtly looked down upon due to his low level.

One of the fox-masked warriors stepped forward and muttered, "A priest who believes in a minor deity,

huh

... I hear you’re respected and honored by the weaklings below the mountain. But this is Snowy Mountains. In the natural world, where only strength matters, you will not receive such treatment."

The warrior’s eyes shone fiercely from behind his fox mask.

"For not knowing your place, pay with your life."

The warrior used his lower body, core, and upper body in seamless, fluid motions. The result was a beautifully extended spear thrust, without a single hint of flaw.

The villagers, and even Sora as well, lost track of his movements for a moment.

"It’s interesting, you know. Guys like you always put on such a show and still rely on surprise attacks."

The beast that came out of Kai’s scabbard instantly sliced the warrior’s spear in half and, as if that weren’t enough, split the fox mask in two.

Drip.

With widened eyes, the warrior staggered back, clutching his forehead as warm liquid trickled down.

H-He countered my spear technique in a single strike...?! What a monster!

While he wasn’t the best of his clan, his speed was enough to rank him among the top ten. Yet this opponent had not only read his attack perfectly but countered it.

The warrior stared at his weapon—the once sturdy spear now lying in two on the ground. It had been split in half perfectly without the slightest deviation.

Gulp.

Seeing this, the warrior shivered uncontrollably, an involuntary chill running down his spine.

"W-what is this...!"

The warrior's partner quickly came forward to threaten Kai while shielding his bleeding comrade.

"You were hiding your skills all along, weren’t you?!"

"I never really tried to hide them."

"This is why we shouldn’t associate with those from below the mountain! Wicked shaman of a minor god!"

[Helik requests that you hit them one more time.]

"As you wish," Kai replied.

As Kai slightly raised his left hand, two chains shot out from his sleeve and coiled around their necks.

"

Kugh!

"

"

Cough...!

"

After giving them a thorough beating, a notification window appeared.

Ding!

[Helik is very satisfied with her enovy’s revenge efforts.]

[+1 Benevolence stats.]

[Due to the effect of Witness of the Sun, your Benevolence stat has additionally increased by 1.]

Huh? Wait a second.

The Witness of the Sun granted an additional 50% bonus to any increase in the Benevolence stat. And when the increase was an odd number, it was always rounded up.

If the Benevolence stat only increases by 1... 50% would be 0.5. So that gets rounded up too?

Kai’s eyes sparkled as he crouched down and asked the warriors, "Hey, why don’t you show me to your village?"

"Don’t be ridiculous! We would never reveal the location of our village to an enemy!"

"Weren’t you saying earlier that you worship strength? Since I won, shouldn’t you be worshiping me now?"

"

Hehe

, compared to Shaktus, the ruler of Snowy Mountains, you’re nothing."

"Our king is a legendary hero who even spoke with the Death Dragon and returned alive."

For the record, that very Death Dragon in question was now neatly stored in Kai’s inventory.

"Is that so? Then it should be fine to lead me there. If what you say is true, that ruler of yours will surely put me in my place."

The warriors exchanged glances and nodded.

"

Haha

, this is what they call digging your own grave."

"We won’t stop you if you’re so eager to die."

Despite having been beaten just now, the Dominator Clan warriors stood up with surprising confidence and led Kai.

"Hurry up. The sun will set at this rate."

Kai followed them, his heart filled with anticipation.

***

The Dominator Clan’s village was deep within Snowy Mountains, perched at the peak of a massive mountain range surrounded by four summits. The village rested just where the clouds began, where even breathing was a struggle for ordinary people.

"

Wow

."

The buildings in the village were made of ice, just like the dwarves’ shelter. While not as beautiful as the dwarves’ creations, their rough designs exuded the spirit of warriors.

As Kai entered the village with the two warriors as his captives, over a hundred warriors surrounded him.

That’s quite a lot.

Their levels ranged from at least 350 to around 400.

For Kai, none of them posed a significant challenge.

"What’s this? A shaman of the Sun God dares to cause trouble in my kingdom?" a muscular man boldly exclaimed, appearing with white fur draped over his shoulders.

"Is this déjà vu? That line sounds familiar,” Kai said.

The reason he had spent six hours making his way to this place was simple.

"Shaman of the minor Sun God!"

"How dare you, a fool who wouldn’t have survived past the age of ten if you were born in Snowy Mountains."

"Now that you’re here, even your so-called god won’t be able to protect you."

The Snowy Mountain warriors relentlessly hurled insults at Kai.

Is that so?

Kai’s eyes sparkled as he waited for something. After a brief moment, the notification he had been waiting for appeared before him.

Ding!

[Helik eventually wells up with tears, overwhelmed by the relentless insults.]

[Helik commands her envoy to punish them all.]

[Quest: Punish the Disgraceful Ones II]

Difficulty: A

Helik is shocked to discover that there exists a faction that considers her a minor deity.

Relieve Helik’s anger by punishing them.

Reward for success: +10 Benevolence stat

Penalty for failure: -20 Benevolence stat

"Bingo."

Kai was gradually mastering the way to manage his god.